Roberto Mancini’s side will launch a £52m bid that will trigger the Napoli star’s release clause and the Etihad Stadium side are confident they will win the race to sign the 26 year old, with the offer of a £250k a week wage packet to dangle in front of the Serie A marksman.

The fee would represent a British transfer fee record, breaking the £50m sum spent by Chelsea on Fernando Torres.

Mancini is keen to conduct a major spending spree this summer in the hope of strengthening his squad after a disappointing campaign that has seen Man City lose their Premier League crown to local rivals Man United.

Schalke defender Kyriakos Papadopoulos and Borussia Dortmund attacker Marco Reus are also said to be on Mancini’s wish-list with the Man City board ready to back the Italian with a hefty transfer war-chest.

Cavani has been in superb form since his move to Napoli after a successful spell with Palermo. The powerful forward netted 64 goals in his first two seasons at the San Paolo and has already racked up 32 goals in all competitions this season to help the Naples mount a solid, if ultimately unsuccessful, challenge to Juventus for the Serie A title.